Achilles Tendon Surgery

quadfin · Post by **quadfin** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 11:06 am

Scheduled for surgery for a torn achilles tendon on this Tuesday the 9th. Anyone had this surgery? Rehab time?

A the tender age of 56 I was attending the Police Academy. During a sprint race in gear my achilles tendon stretched, tore, and recoiled back into my calf. I could actually hear the tear. The OS explains that the tendon has two "mop" ends and he will take these strands and sew them back. He said to expect 5 months of rehab.

As a side note the Ortho was confused at the knots on top of my feet and on my knees that showed up on the Xrays. I explained "surfer's knots" to him.

RMcKnee · Post by **RMcKnee** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 3:44 pm

southpeakbrad · Post by **southpeakbrad** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 7:04 pm

Hey Quadfin,

You're young at heart, just like me. Here's hoping for a quick recovery.

McKnee, I'm a clinical pharmacist at UCSD Med Center. The pharmacy degree in the US is a doctorate and the program is very clinical. I've worked closely with physicans, nurses and others for years now and know a little about a lot

, but feel comfortable with drugs

Brad

JohnS · Post by **JohnS** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 10:40 am

Hi Quadfin,
I remember meeting you at the 1st KSUSA contest at pleasure point. Weren't you the first to get Bruce Hart to put 4 fins on a board

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

quadfin · Post by **quadfin** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 7:28 pm

JohnS wrote:Hi Quadfin,
I remember meeting you at the 1st KSUSA contest at pleasure point. Weren't you the first to get Bruce Hart to put 4 fins on a board :?: :lol:

Wishing you a speedy recovery. :)

lol...yes, guess getting Hart to build a quadfin will be my legacy. Have actually been riding an Flashie Aussie Tri most of the time the last two years and having a ton of fun with it.

Thanks for the well wishes.

quadfin · Post by **quadfin** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 7:36 pm

Just had "reiki" performed on me by two beautiful ladies to help with my healing. Pretty interesting stuff if you are into the metaphysical. If nothing else it is group meditation.

Probably better than drinking beer and watching football which was my original plan.

quadfin · Post by **quadfin** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 2:08 pm

Surgery complete and back home after an overnight in the scary hospital. Stitches out in two weeks. Back to the Academy in the morning. Thanks for the well wishes.

RMcKnee · Post by **RMcKnee** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 2:28 am

quadfin · Post by **quadfin** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:17 am

Just thought I was finished with the hospital. Developed blood clots as a complication to the surgery but doing OK with everything considered. A week of meds with injections in the abdomen and longer term with rat poison to thin my blood. Just adds some time to my recovery.

Thinking about going swim finless after this event to get me back in the water sooner. Thinking that the flexing on the achilles from the swim fins would be a potential to reinjure.

RMcKnee · Post by **RMcKnee** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:35 pm

Casey Patelski · Post by **Casey Patelski** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:04 pm

Quadfin, you got off easy. I snapped mine in two. After surgery, I had a cast from my hip to ankle for 4 weeks, a cast from my thigh to my ankle for 4 weeks and lastly a cast from below my knee to my ankle for 4 weeks. Then all the PT. I healed and came around fast with the strict PT.
I even drove my 4 Runner around with the last cast. Only bummer is my calf is stretched vertically now from the re-attachment of the two ends making my tendon shorter. So my calf shape is skinny but just as strong and fast. No issues, good as new, lovin the surfn' even more now days.
You'll do fine bro. God Speed. Casey

quadfin · Post by **quadfin** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:49 am

Thanks guys. Yes, the rat posion is warfarin with lovenox injections in the belly. GF is in the med field and giving me injections with home health care nurses monitoring the blood. The achilles has kinda taken a back burner right now to the blood clots. Ankle is feeling pretty good and staples coming out Monday. Hope to start rehab ASAP.

jimithesaint · Post by **jimithesaint** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 10:16 am

Quadfin -
Bummer to hear about the clots, they can be deadly serious ! Good luck

I had a significant lower abdominal surgery 4 years ago - my GF (now wife) made me do leg exercises and marched me around every hour for about 3 weeks to prevent blood clots. I would bitch and she would say "yeah, yeah but you ain't getting blood clots on my watch" LOL

Jim

bigtony · Post by **bigtony** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 2:12 pm

Mr. Fin,

I’m not sure exactly where your tear was, but I tore my Achilles 3yrs ago and have recovered pretty much 100%!
I tore mine at the insertion where the tendon attaches just under the heel. I was told that it’s the second worse tear that you can have and the only thing worse was the same tear, but with the bone coming off with it!

Anyway, I had a great surgeon who did excellent! He stressed the importance of starting slight movement ASAP which meant moving the toes and foot back and forth as well as side to side without too much effort. This was huge as I was in a cast for 10 mos. And was instrumental in gaining full range of motion before I was out of the soft cast completely.

The other things that will help you regain your range of motion and strength as well as keep you from turning into a weak POS from not surfing is swimming your butt off!
Start with using your legs lightly and gradually build yourself up to wearing your fins and kicking hard across the pool when ready. Of course all of this is after your incision has closed on the outside. You can purchase fin strap pads from Custom X that will keep the strap of the fin from digging into your heel until it is pain free.

I have been an athlete all of my life and a kneeboarder since I was 12yrs old! I was told that I would never walk correctly and shouldn’t kneeboard anymore or participate in strenuous activities that could pose stress on the tendon. Needless to say, I sought a second opinion with Dr. Kramer who did the work on Kelly Slater’s knee and a host of other pro athletes and it was the best thing I ever did. Life is good and surfing every day there is waves and with my fins on like normal. Also, I do all of the other things that I did before and in some cases even better! Now if I can only keep everything else from breaking on me I will be stoked (blown knee and surgery in July 08)!

Good luck in your recovery and don’t listen to those that might tell you, you can’t do what you love to do! Rehab, training and motivation are key to staying in the water well into our senior years.

Aloha

quadfin · Post by **quadfin** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 3:51 pm

My tear was "moderate". Dr. says it looked like two mop ends or frayed rope. Wound looks like it is healing pretty well. Worse part about the whole experience is that as an on-the-job injury I go thru the State Workmans Comp system. What a nightmare.

Thanks Big Tony. Already seeing atrophy in my calf and was wondering about rehab. Going to discuss the rehab with the Ortho Monday.